Bible in 90 Days

The Burnt Offering

1 The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent. The Lord said, ² “Tell the people of Israel: ‘When you bring an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering one of the cattle. Or you may bring one of the sheep or goats.

³ “‘If anyone offers a whole burnt offering from the cattle, it must be a male. It must have nothing wrong with it. The person must take the animal to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. Then the Lord will accept the offering. ⁴ The person must put his hand on the animal’s head. Then the Lord will accept that burnt offering. It will remove the person’s sin so he will belong to God. ⁵ The person must kill the young bull before the Lord. Then the priests must bring its blood to the altar. They must sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar. This is the altar at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. ⁶ The person will cut the skin from that animal. Then he will cut the animal into pieces. ⁷ The priests must put wood and fire on the altar. ⁸ They must lay the head, the fat and other pieces on the wood. That wood is on the fire on the altar. ⁹ The priest must wash the animal’s inner organs and legs with water. Then the priest must burn all the animal’s parts on the altar. It is a whole burnt offering, an offering made by fire. And its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

¹⁰ “‘The burnt offering may be a sheep or goat. It must be a male animal that has nothing wrong with it. ¹¹ The person must kill the animal on the north side of the altar. This is to be before the Lord. Then the priests must sprinkle its blood on the altar. They must sprinkle it on all sides. ¹² The person must cut the animal into pieces. Then the priest must lay the pieces with the head and fat on the wood. The wood is on the fire on the altar. ¹³ The person must wash the animal’s inner organs and legs with water. Then the priest must burn all its parts on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire. And its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

¹⁴ “‘The whole burnt offering may be a bird. It must be a dove or a young pigeon. ¹⁵ The priest will bring the offering to the altar. He will pull off the bird’s head. Then he will burn it on the altar. The bird’s blood must be drained out on the side of the altar. ¹⁶ The priest must remove the bird’s crop^[a] and its contents. He must throw them on the east side of the altar. This is where they put the ashes from the altar. ¹⁷ Then the priest must tear the bird open by its wings. But he must not divide the bird into two parts. Then the priest must burn the bird on the altar. He must place it on the wood which is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

The Grain Offering

2 “‘When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord, it must be made from fine flour. The person must pour oil on it and put incense on it. ² Then he must take it to Aaron’s sons and the priests. The priest must take a handful of the fine flour, with the oil and all the incense. He must burn it on the altar as a memorial portion. It is an offering made by fire. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord. ³ The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and the priests. This offering is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the Lord.

⁴ “‘If you bring a grain offering that was baked in the oven, it must be made from fine flour. It may be loaves made without yeast and mixed with oil. Or it may be wafers made without yeast. They are to have oil poured over them. ⁵ If your grain offering is cooked on a griddle, it must be made without yeast. It must be made of fine flour mixed with oil. ⁶ Crumble it and pour oil over it. It is a grain offering. ⁷ If your grain offering is cooked in a pan, it must be made from fine flour and oil. ⁸ Bring the grain offering made of these things to the Lord. Give it to the priest. He will take it to the altar. ⁹ He will take out the memorial portion from the grain offering. He will burn it on the altar. This is an offering made by fire. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord. ¹⁰ The rest of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and the priests. It is a most holy part of the offerings made to the Lord by fire.

¹¹ “‘Every grain offering you bring to the Lord must be made without yeast. You must not burn yeast or honey in an offering made by fire to the Lord. ¹² You may bring yeast and honey to the Lord as an offering from the first harvest. But yeast and honey must not be burned on the altar as a pleasing smell. ¹³ You must also put salt on all your grain offerings. Salt stands for your agreement with God that will last forever. Do not leave it out of your grain offering. You must add salt to all your offerings.

¹⁴ “‘If you bring a grain offering from the first harvest to the Lord, bring crushed heads of new grain. They must be roasted in the fire. ¹⁵ Put oil and incense on the grain. It is a grain offering. ¹⁶ The priest will burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and oil. It will have incense on it. It is an offering by fire to the Lord.

The Fellowship Offering

3 “‘A person’s fellowship offering to the Lord may be from the cattle. It may be a male or female animal. But it must have nothing wrong with it. ² The person must put his hand on the animal’s head. He must kill it at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. Then the priests must sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar. ³ This person must make a sacrifice from the fellowship offering. The sacrifice must be made by fire to the Lord. He must offer the fat of the animal’s inner organs. This is both the fat that is in them and that covers them. ⁴ He must also offer both kidneys and the fat on them. They are near the lower back muscle. He must also offer the best part of the liver. He will remove it with the kidneys. ⁵ Then the priests will burn these parts on the altar. They will put them on the burnt offering that is on the wood on the fire. It is an offering made by fire. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord.

⁶ “‘A person’s fellowship offering to the Lord may be a lamb or a goat. He may offer a male or female animal. But it must have nothing wrong with it. ⁷ If he offers a lamb, he must bring it before the Lord. ⁸ He must put his hand on its head. Then he must kill the animal in front of the Meeting Tent. The priests will sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar. ⁹ Then the person must make a sacrifice from the fellowship offering. The sacrifice must be made by fire to the Lord. The person must bring the fat and the whole fat tail. The tail must be cut off close to the backbone. He must also offer the fat of the inner organs. This is both the fat that is in them and that covers them. ¹⁰ He must offer both kidneys and the fat on them. They are near the lower back muscle. And he must offer the best part of the liver. He will remove it with the kidneys. ¹¹ Then the priest will burn these parts on the altar as food. It will be an offering made by fire to the Lord.

¹² “‘A person’s fellowship offering may be a goat. He is to offer it before the Lord. ¹³ He must put his hand on the goat’s head. And he must kill it in front of the Meeting Tent. Then the priests must sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar. ¹⁴ From this fellowship offering the person must make a sacrifice. It will be an offering by fire to the Lord. The person must offer all the fat of the goat’s inner organs. This is both the fat that is in them and that covers them. ¹⁵ He must offer both kidneys and the fat on them. They are near the lower back muscle. And he must offer the best part of the liver. He will remove it with the kidneys. ¹⁶ The priest will burn these parts on the altar as food. It is an offering made by fire. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.

¹⁷ “‘This law will continue for people from now on, wherever you live: you must not eat fat or blood.’”

The Sin Offering

4 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘A person might sin by accident. He might do some things the Lord has commanded not to be done. If so, that person must do these things:

³ “‘It may be the appointed priest who has sinned. If so, he has brought guilt on the people. So he must offer a young bull to the Lord. It must have nothing wrong with it. This will be a sin offering for the sin he has done. ⁴ He will bring the bull to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. He must bring it in front of the Lord. Then he will put his hand on the bull’s head. And he will kill the bull before the Lord. ⁵ Then the appointed priest must bring some of the bull’s blood into the Meeting Tent. ⁶ The priest is to dip his finger into the blood. He must sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain. This curtain is in front of the Most Holy Place. ⁷ The priest must also put some of the blood on the corners of the altar of incense. It stands before the Lord in the Meeting Tent. Then the priest must pour out the rest of the bull’s blood. It must be poured at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. That altar is at the door of the Meeting Tent. ⁸ He must remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering. He must remove the fat on and around the inner organs. ⁹ He must remove both kidneys and the fat on them. They are near the lower back muscle. He must remove the best part of the liver with the kidneys. ¹⁰ He must do this in the same way the fat is removed from the bull of the fellowship offering. Then the priest must burn the animal parts on the altar of burnt offering. ^11-12 But the priest must carry out the skin of the bull and all its meat. He must take these with the rest of the bull—its head, legs, intestines and other inner organs. He must take it outside the camp to the special clean place where the ashes are poured out. He must burn it on a wood fire on the pile of ashes.

¹³ “‘The whole nation of Israel might sin without knowing it. They might do something the Lord has commanded not to be done. If this happens, they are guilty. ¹⁴ When they learn about the sin they have done, a young bull must be offered. It is a sin offering for the whole nation. They must bring it and give it before the Meeting Tent. ¹⁵ The elders of the group of people must put their hands on the bull’s head. It must be done before the Lord. And the bull must be killed before the Lord. ¹⁶ Then the appointed priest must bring some of the bull’s blood into the Meeting Tent. ¹⁷ The priest will dip his finger in the blood. He must sprinkle it seven times before the Lord in front of the curtain. ¹⁸ Then he must put some of the blood on the corners of the altar. The altar is before the Lord in the Meeting Tent. The priest must pour out the rest of the blood. He must pour it at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. That altar is at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. ¹⁹ The priest must remove all the fat from the animal. And he must burn it on the altar. ²⁰ He will do the same thing with this bull that he did with the first bull of the sin offering. In this way the priest removes the sins of the people so they will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive them. ²¹ Then the priest must carry the bull outside the camp and burn it. He must do this just as he did with the first bull. This is the sin offering for the whole community.

²² “‘A ruler might sin by accident. He might do something the Lord his God has commanded must not be done. If he does, he is guilty. ²³ When he learns about his sin, he must bring a male goat. It must have nothing wrong with it. That will be his sin offering. ²⁴ The ruler must put his hand on the goat’s head and kill it. This must be done where they kill the whole burnt offering before the Lord. The goat is a sin offering. ²⁵ The priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering on his finger. He must put it on the corners of the altar of burnt offering. He must pour out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. ²⁶ He must burn all the goat’s fat on the altar. He must burn it in the same way he burns the fat of the fellowship offerings. In this way the priest removes the ruler’s sin so he belongs to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him.

²⁷ “‘A person in the community might sin by accident. He might do something which the Lord has commanded must not be done. He is guilty of sin. ²⁸ When the person learns about his sin, he must bring a female goat. It must have nothing wrong with it. That will be his sin offering. ²⁹ He must put his hand on the animal’s head. He must kill it at the place of the whole burnt offering. ³⁰ Then the priest must take some of the goat’s blood on his finger. He must put it on the corners of the altar of burnt offering. He must pour out the rest of the goat’s blood at the bottom of the altar. ³¹ Then the priest must remove all the goat’s fat. He must do it in the same way the fat is removed from the fellowship offerings. He must burn it on the altar. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord. In this way the priest will remove that person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him.

³² “‘This person may bring a lamb as his sin offering. If he does, he must bring a female. It must have nothing wrong with it. ³³ The person must put his hand on the animal’s head. He must kill it as a sin offering. He must kill it where they kill the whole burnt offering. ³⁴ The priest must take some of the blood from the sin offering on his finger. He must put it on the corners of the altar of burnt offering. Then he must pour out the rest of the lamb’s blood at the bottom of the altar. ³⁵ The priest must remove all the lamb’s fat. He must do it in the same way that the lamb’s fat is removed from the fellowship offerings. He must burn the pieces on the altar. They go on top of the offerings made by fire for the Lord. In this way the priest will remove that person’s sins so he will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him.

Special Types of Accidental Sins

5 “‘These are things for which a sin offering must be made:

“‘A person might be ordered to tell in court what he has seen or what he knows. If he does not tell the court, he is guilty of sin.

² “‘Or someone might touch something unclean. It might be the dead body of an unclean wild animal or an unclean farm animal or an unclean crawling animal. He might not know that he touched it. But he will still be unclean and guilty of sin.

³ “‘Many things come from a person which are not clean. Someone might touch one of these unclean things from a person and not know it. But when he learns about it, he will be guilty.

⁴ “‘Or someone might make a promise before the Lord without thinking. He might promise to do something bad or good. The promise might be about anything. He might even make a promise before the Lord and forget about it. But when he remembers, he will be guilty.

⁵ “‘When anyone is guilty of any of these things, he must tell how he sinned. ⁶ He must bring an offering to the Lord. It is a penalty for his sin. It must be a female lamb or goat from the flock. The priest will perform the acts to remove that person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord.

⁷ “‘But perhaps the person cannot afford a lamb. Then he must bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord. These will be the penalty for his sin. One bird must be for a sin offering. The other must be for a burnt offering. ⁸ He must bring them to the priest. First the priest will offer the one for the sin offering. He will pull the bird’s head from its neck. But he will not pull it completely off. ⁹ He must sprinkle the blood from the sin offering on the side of the altar. Then he must pour the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. It is a sin offering. ¹⁰ Then the priest must offer the second bird as a burnt offering. This is what the law says. In this way the priest will remove the person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him.

¹¹ “‘The person might not be able to afford two doves or two pigeons. If not, he must bring about two quarts of fine flour. This will be an offering for his sin. He must not put oil on the flour. And he must not put incense on it, because it is a sin offering. ¹² He must bring the flour to the priest. The priest will take a handful of the flour as a memorial offering. He will burn it on the altar. It goes on top of the offerings made by fire to the Lord. It is a sin offering. ¹³ In this way the priest will remove the person’s sins so he will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him. What is left of the sin offering belongs to the priest. This is like the grain offering.’”

The Penalty Offering

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁵ “A person might accidentally sin and do something against the holy things of the Lord. That person must bring a male sheep from the flock. It must have nothing wrong with it. This will be his penalty offering to the Lord. The value in silver of the male sheep must be correct. Use the proper value for silver as set by the Holy Place measure. ¹⁶ That person must pay for the sin he did against the holy thing. He must add one-fifth to its value. Then he must give it all to the priest. In this way the priest will remove the person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord. The priest does it by means of the male sheep of the penalty offering. And the Lord will forgive the person.

¹⁷ “A person might sin and do something the Lord has commanded not to be done. It does not matter if that person knew or not. He is guilty. He is responsible for his sin. ¹⁸ He must bring the priest a male sheep from the flock. It must have nothing wrong with it. It must be worth the correct amount. The male sheep will be a penalty offering. The person sinned without knowing it. But with this offering the priest will remove the sin so the person will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him. ¹⁹ The person is guilty of doing wrong against the Lord. So he must give the penalty offering to the Lord.”

6 The Lord said to Moses, ² “A person might sin against the Lord by doing one of these sins: He might lie about what happened to something he was taking care of for someone else. Or he might lie about a promise he made. Or he might steal something or cheat someone. ³ He might find something that had been lost and then lie about it. He might make a promise before the Lord about something and not mean it. Or he might do some other sin. ⁴ If he does any of these things, he is guilty of sin. He must bring back whatever he stole. Or he must bring back what he took by cheating. Or he must bring back the thing he took care of for someone else. Or he must bring back what he found and lied about. ⁵ Or he must bring back what he made a false promise about. He must pay the full price. Then he must pay an extra one-fifth of the value of what he took. He must give the money to the true owner. This must be done on the day he brings his penalty offering. ⁶ He must pay a penalty to the priest. It must be a male sheep from the flock. It must not have anything wrong with it. And it must be worth the correct amount. It will be a penalty offering to the Lord. ⁷ Then the priest will perform the acts to remove that person’s sin so he will belong to the Lord. And the Lord will forgive him for the sins that made him guilty.”

The Whole Burnt Offering

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, ⁹ “Give this command to Aaron and the priests: ‘These are the teachings about the whole burnt offering. The burnt offering must stay on the altar all night until morning. The altar’s fire must be kept burning. ¹⁰ The priest must put on his linen robe. He must put on linen underclothes next to his body. Then he will remove the ashes from the burnt offering on the altar. He will put these ashes beside the altar. ¹¹ Then he must take off those clothes and put on others. He must carry the ashes outside the camp to a special clean place. ¹² But the fire must be kept burning on the altar. It must not be allowed to go out. The priest must put more firewood on the altar every morning. He must place the whole burnt offering on the fire. He must burn the fat of the fellowship offerings. ¹³ The fire must be kept burning on the altar all the time. It must not go out.

The Grain Offering

¹⁴ “‘These are the teachings about the grain offering: The priests must bring it to the Lord in front of the altar. ¹⁵ The priest must take a handful of fine flour. The oil and incense must be on it. The priest must burn the grain offering on the altar. It will be a memorial offering to the Lord. Its smell is pleasing to him. ¹⁶ Aaron and the priests may eat what is left. It must be eaten without yeast in a holy place. The priests must eat it in the courtyard of the Meeting Tent. ¹⁷ It must not be cooked with yeast. I have given it as their share of the offerings made to me by fire. It is most holy, like the sin offering and the penalty offering. ¹⁸ Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. It is his share of the offerings made to the Lord by fire. This will continue from now on. Whatever touches these offerings must be holy.’”

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁰ “This is the offering Aaron and the priests must bring to the Lord. They must do this on the day they appoint Aaron as high priest. They must bring two quarts of fine flour for a grain offering. They must bring half of it in the morning and half in the evening. ²¹ The fine flour must be mixed with oil and cooked on a griddle. Bring it when it is well mixed. You must break it into pieces. It will be a smell that is pleasing to the Lord. ²² One of the priests will be appointed to take Aaron’s place as high priest. He must make the grain offering to the Lord. It is a rule forever. The grain offering must be completely burned to the Lord. ²³ Every grain offering made by a priest must be completely burned. It must not be eaten.”

The Sin Offering

²⁴ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁵ “Tell Aaron and the priests: ‘These are the teachings about the sin offering. The sin offering must be killed in front of the Lord. It must be killed in the same place the whole burnt offering is killed. It is most holy. ²⁶ The priest who offers the sin offering must eat it. He must eat it in a holy place. It must be in the courtyard of the Meeting Tent. ²⁷ Whatever touches the meat of the sin offering must be holy. If the blood is sprinkled on any clothes, you must wash them in a holy place. ²⁸ The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken. If a bronze pot is used, it must be scrubbed and rinsed with water. ²⁹ Any male in a priest’s family may eat the offering. It is most holy. ³⁰ The blood of the sin offering may be taken into the Meeting Tent. It may be used to remove sin in the Holy Place. That sin offering must be burned with fire. It must not be eaten.

The Penalty Offering

7 “‘These are the teachings about the penalty offering. It is most holy. ² The penalty offering must be killed where the whole burnt offering is killed. Then the priest must sprinkle its blood on all sides of the altar. ³ He must offer all the fat from the penalty offering. He must offer the fat tail and the fat that covers the inner organs. ⁴ He must offer both kidneys and the fat on them. They are near the lower back muscle. And he must offer the best part of the liver. This is to be removed with the kidneys. ⁵ The priest must burn all these things on the altar. They will be an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a penalty offering. ⁶ Any male in a priest’s family may eat it. It is most holy. So it must be eaten in a holy place.

⁷ “‘The penalty offering is like the sin offering. The teachings are the same for both. The priest who offers the sacrifice to remove sins will get the meat for food. ⁸ The priest who offers the burnt offering may also have the skin from it. ⁹ Every grain offering belongs to the priest who offers it. This includes those baked in an oven, cooked on a griddle or baked in a dish. ¹⁰ The grain offerings belong to the priests. They may be dry or mixed with oil. All priests will share alike.

Fellowship Offerings

¹¹ “‘These are the teachings about the fellowship offering a person may offer to the Lord: ¹² He may bring the fellowship offering to show his thanks. If he does, he should also bring loaves of bread. They must be made without yeast, mixed with oil. And he should bring wafers made without yeast. They must have oil poured over them. He should also bring loaves of fine flour mixed with oil. ¹³ He must also offer loaves of bread made with yeast. These should be brought with his fellowship offering, which he gives to show thanks. ¹⁴ One of each kind of offering will be for the Lord. It will be given to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the fellowship offering. ¹⁵ The fellowship offering is to thank the Lord. The meat from it must be eaten the same day it is offered. None of it must be left until morning.

¹⁶ “‘A person might bring a fellowship offering just to give a gift to God. Or it may be done because of a special promise to God. Then, the sacrifice should be eaten the same day he offers it. If there is any left, it may be eaten the next day. ¹⁷ If any meat from this sacrifice is left on the third day, it must be burned up. ¹⁸ Any meat of the fellowship offering eaten on the third day will not be accepted. The Lord will not count the sacrifice for the person who offered it. It will become unclean. Anyone who eats the meat will be guilty of sin.

¹⁹ “‘People must not eat meat that touches anything unclean. They must burn this meat with fire. But anyone who is clean may eat other meat. ²⁰ But a person who is unclean might eat the meat from the fellowship offering that belongs to the Lord. If he does, he must be separated from his people.

²¹ “‘Someone might touch something unclean that comes from people. Or the unclean thing might be an animal or some hated thing. Touching it will make him unclean. If he then eats meat from the fellowship offering that belongs to the Lord, he must be separated from his people.’”

²² The Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Tell the people of Israel: ‘You must not eat any of the fat from cattle, sheep or goats. ²⁴ If an animal is found dead or torn by wild animals, you may use its fat for other things. But you must not eat it. ²⁵ Someone might eat fat from an animal offering made by fire to the Lord. That person must be separated from his people. ²⁶ It does not matter where you live. You must not eat blood from any bird or animal. ²⁷ Anyone who eats blood must be separated from his people.’”

The Priests’ Share

²⁸ The Lord said to Moses, ²⁹ “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Someone may bring a fellowship offering to the Lord. He must give part of it as his sacrifice to the Lord. ³⁰ He must carry that part of the gift in his own hands. It will be an offering made by fire to the Lord. He must carry the fat and the breast of the animal to the priest. The breast must be presented to the Lord as the priests’ share. ³¹ Then the priest must burn the fat on the altar. But the breast of the animal will belong to Aaron and the priests. ³² You must also give the right thigh from the fellowship offering to the priest as a gift. ³³ It will belong to the priest who offers the blood and fat of the fellowship offering. ³⁴ I have taken the breast and the thigh of the fellowship offering. And I have given these parts to Aaron and the priests as their share from the Israelites.’”

³⁵ This is the portion that belongs to Aaron and his sons. It is from the offerings made by fire to the Lord. Aaron and his sons were given this share on the day they were presented to the Lord as priests. ³⁶ On the day the Lord appointed the priests, he commanded Israel to give this share to them. It is to be given to the priests as their share from now on.

³⁷ These are the teachings about the whole burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering and the penalty offering. They are the teachings about the appointment of priests. And they are the teachings about the fellowship offerings. ³⁸ The Lord gave these teachings to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was on the day he commanded the Israelites to bring their offerings to him in the Sinai Desert.

Aaron and His Sons Appointed

8 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Bring Aaron and his sons and their clothes. Bring the special olive oil used in appointing people and things to the service of the Lord. Also bring the bull of the sin offering and the two male sheep. And bring the basket of bread made without yeast. ³ Then gather the people together at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.” ⁴ Moses did as the Lord commanded him. The people met together at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

⁵ Then Moses spoke to the people. He said, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.” ⁶ Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons forward. He washed them with water. ⁷ He put the inner robe on Aaron. And he tied the cloth belt around Aaron. Then he put the outer robe on him. Next he put the holy vest on Aaron. Then he tied the skillfully woven belt around him. So the holy vest was tied to Aaron. ⁸ Then Moses put the chest covering on him. And he put the Urim and the Thummim in the chest covering. ⁹ He also put the turban on Aaron’s head. He put the strip of gold on the front of the turban. This strip of gold is the holy crown. Moses did this as the Lord commanded him to do.

¹⁰ Then Moses put the special oil on the Holy Tent and everything in it. In this way Moses made them holy for the Lord. ¹¹ He sprinkled some oil on the altar seven times. He sprinkled the altar and all its tools. He also sprinkled special oil on the large bowl and its base. In this way he made them holy for the Lord. ¹² Then he poured some of the special oil on Aaron’s head. In this way he made Aaron holy for the Lord. ¹³ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons forward. And he put the inner robes on them. He tied cloth belts around them. Then he put headbands on them. He did these things as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁴ Then Moses brought the bull for the sin offering. And Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head. ¹⁵ Moses killed the bull and took some of the blood. With his finger he put some of the blood on all the corners of the altar. In this way he made the altar pure. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. So he made it holy and ready for service to God. ¹⁶ Moses took all the fat from the inner organs of the bull. He took the best part of the liver. And he took both kidneys and the fat on them. Then he burned them on the altar. ¹⁷ But he took the bull’s skin, its meat and its intestines outside the camp. He burned them in a fire outside the camp. Moses did all these things as the Lord had commanded him.

¹⁸ Next Moses brought the male sheep of the burnt offering. Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head. ¹⁹ Then Moses killed it. He sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar. ²⁰ Moses cut the male sheep into pieces. And he burned the head, the pieces and the fat. ²¹ He washed the inner organs and legs with water. Then he burned the whole sheep on the altar. It was a burnt offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell was pleasing to the Lord. Moses did these things as the Lord had commanded him.

²² Then Moses brought the other male sheep. It was used in appointing Aaron and his sons as priests. They put their hands on its head. ²³ Then Moses killed the sheep. He put some of its blood on the bottom of Aaron’s right ear. He put some on the thumb of Aaron’s right hand. And he put some on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁴ Then Moses brought Aaron’s sons close to the altar. He put some of the blood on the bottom of their right ears. He put it on the thumbs of their right hands. And he put it on the big toes of their right feet. Then he sprinkled blood on all sides of the altar. ²⁵ He took the fat and the fat tail from the sheep. He took all the fat on the inner organs. He took the best part of the liver. He also took both kidneys, their fat and the right thigh. ²⁶ A basket of bread made without yeast is put before the Lord each day. From the basket Moses took a loaf of bread. And he took a loaf made with oil and a wafer. He put these pieces of bread on the fat and right thigh of the male sheep. ²⁷ He put all these things in the hands of Aaron and his sons. He presented the pieces as an offering before the Lord. ²⁸ Then Moses took them from their hands. And he burned them on the altar on top of the burnt offering. So this was the offering for appointing Aaron and his sons as priests. It was an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell was pleasing to the Lord. ²⁹ Moses took the breast and presented it as an offering before the Lord. It was Moses’ share of the male sheep used in appointing the priests. This was as the Lord had commanded Moses.

³⁰ Moses took some of the special oil and some of the blood which was on the altar. He sprinkled some of the oil on Aaron and Aaron’s clothes. He also sprinkled some on Aaron’s sons and their clothes. In this way Moses made Aaron, his clothes, his sons and their clothes holy for the Lord.

³¹ Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons, “I gave you a command. I said, ‘Aaron and his sons will eat these things.’ So take the meat and basket of bread from the offering for appointing priests. Boil the meat at the door of the Meeting Tent. Eat it there with the bread. ³² If any of the meat or bread is left, burn it. ³³ The time of appointing will last seven days. You must not go outside the entrance of the Meeting Tent until that time is up. Stay there until the time of your appointing is finished. ³⁴ The Lord commanded the things that were done today. He commanded these things to remove your sins so you will belong to him. ³⁵ You must stay at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. Stay there day and night for seven days. If you don’t obey the Lord’s commands, you will die! The Lord has given me these commands.”

³⁶ So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Aaron and His Sons Offer Sacrifices

9 On the eighth day after the time of appointing, Moses called for Aaron and his sons. He also called for the elders of Israel. ² He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf and a male sheep. There must be nothing wrong with these animals. The calf will be a sin offering. And the male sheep will be a whole burnt offering. Offer these animals to the Lord. ³ Tell the people of Israel, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering. And take a calf and a lamb for a whole burnt offering. The calf and the lamb must each be one year old. There must be nothing wrong with these animals. ⁴ Take a bull and a male sheep for fellowship offerings. Take with these animals a grain offering mixed with oil. Offer these things to the Lord. This is because the Lord will appear to you today.’”

⁵ So all the people came to the front of the Meeting Tent. They brought the things Moses had commanded them to bring. And they stood before the Lord. ⁶ Moses said, “You have done what the Lord commanded. So you will see the Lord’s glory.”

⁷ Then Moses told Aaron, “Go to the altar. There offer sin offerings and whole burnt offerings. Do this to remove your sins and the people’s sins so you will belong to God. Offer the sacrifices for the people. And perform the acts to remove their sins for them so they will belong to the Lord. Do this as the Lord has commanded.”

⁸ So Aaron went to the altar. He killed the bull calf as a sin offering for himself. ⁹ Then his sons brought the blood to him. Aaron dipped his finger in the blood and put it on the corners of the altar. Then he poured out the rest of the blood at the bottom of the altar. ¹⁰ Aaron took the fat, the kidneys and the best part of the liver from the sin offering. He burned these things on the altar. He did this the way the Lord had commanded Moses. ¹¹ Aaron burned the meat and skin outside the camp.

¹² Then Aaron killed the animal for the whole burnt offering. Aaron’s sons brought the blood to him. And he sprinkled it on all sides of the altar. ¹³ Aaron’s sons gave the pieces and head of the burnt offering to Aaron. And he burned them on the altar. ¹⁴ Aaron also washed the inner organs and the legs of the burnt offering. And he burned them on the altar.

¹⁵ Then Aaron brought the offering that was for the people. He took the goat of the people’s sin offering. He killed and offered the goat of the sin offering. He did this just as he had done the first sin offering.

¹⁶ Then Aaron brought the whole burnt offering and offered it. He did it as the Lord had commanded. ¹⁷ He also brought the grain offering to the altar. He took a handful of the grain and burned it on the altar. This was in addition to the morning’s burnt offering.

¹⁸ Aaron also killed the bull and the male sheep. These were the fellowship offerings for the people. Aaron’s sons brought the blood from these animals to Aaron. He sprinkled it on all sides of the altar. ¹⁹ Aaron’s sons also brought to Aaron the fat of the bull and the male sheep. They brought the fat tail and the fat covering the inner organs. They also brought the kidneys and the best part of the liver. ²⁰ Aaron’s sons put these fat parts on the breasts of the bull and sheep. Then Aaron burned these fat parts on the altar. ²¹ He presented the breasts and the right thigh before the Lord as the priests’ share of the offering. He did this as Moses had commanded.

²² Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them. Aaron had finished offering the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering. Then he stepped down from the altar.

²³ Moses and Aaron went into the Meeting Tent. Then they came out and blessed the people. Then the Lord’s glory came to all the people. ²⁴ Fire came out from the Lord. It burned up the burnt offering and fat on the altar. When the people saw this, they shouted with joy. They bowed facedown on the ground.

God Destroys Nadab and Abihu

10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their pans for burning incense. They put fire in them and added incense. But they did not use the special fire Moses had commanded them to use. ² So fire came down from the Lord and destroyed Nadab and Abihu. They died in front of the Lord. ³ Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord was speaking about when he said,

So Aaron did not say anything about the death of his sons.

⁴ Aaron’s uncle Uzziel had two sons named Mishael and Elzaphan. Moses said to them, “Come here. Pick up your cousins’ bodies. Carry them outside the camp away from the front of the Holy Place.” ⁵ So Mishael and Elzaphan obeyed Moses. They carried the bodies of Nadab and Abihu outside the camp. Nadab and Abihu were still wearing the special priest’s inner robes.

⁶ Then Moses spoke to Aaron and his other sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses told them, “Don’t show any sadness. Don’t tear your clothes or leave your hair uncombed. If you do those things, you will die, and the Lord will be angry with all the people. All the people of Israel are your relatives. They may cry loudly about the Lord burning Nadab and Abihu. ⁷ But you must not even leave the Meeting Tent. If you go out of the entrance, you will die! This is because the Lord has appointed you to his service.” So Aaron, Eleazar and Ithamar obeyed Moses.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Aaron, ⁹ “You and your sons must not drink wine or beer when you go into the Meeting Tent. If you do, you will die! This law will continue from now on. ¹⁰ You must keep what is holy separate from what is not holy. You must keep what is clean separate from what is unclean. ¹¹ The Lord gave his laws to Moses. And Moses gave them to the people. You must teach the people all the laws.”

¹² Moses talked to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. Moses said, “Some of the grain offering is left from the sacrifices offered by fire to the Lord. Eat that part of the grain offering. But do not add yeast to it. Eat it near the altar because it is most holy. ¹³ The Law I gave you says this part belongs to you and your sons. But you must eat it in a holy place. It is part of the offerings made by fire to the Lord. I have been commanded to tell you this.

¹⁴ “Also, you, your sons and daughters may eat the breast and thigh of the fellowship offering. They were presented to the Lord. You must eat them in a clean place. They are your share of the fellowship offerings given by the Israelites. ¹⁵ The people must bring the fat from their animals. It is part of the offering made by fire. They must also bring the thigh and the breast of the fellowship offering. These will be presented to the Lord. They will be the regular share of the offerings for you and your children. The Lord has commanded it.”

¹⁶ Moses looked for the goat of the sin offering. But it had already been burned up. So he became very angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s remaining sons. He said, ¹⁷ “You were supposed to eat that goat in a holy place before the Lord! It is most holy! He gave it to you to take away the guilt of the people. The goat was for removing the sins of the people so they will belong to the Lord. ¹⁸ You didn’t bring the goat’s blood inside the Holy Place. So you were supposed to eat the goat in a holy place, as I commanded!”

¹⁹ But Aaron said to Moses, “Today they brought their sin offering and burnt offering before the Lord. But these terrible things have still happened to me today! Do you think the Lord would be any happier if I ate the sin offering today?” ²⁰ When Moses heard this, he was satisfied.

Rules About What May Be Eaten

11 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. ² He said, “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘These are the land animals you may eat: ³ You may eat any animal that has split hooves completely divided and chews the cud.

⁴ “‘Some animals only chew the cud or only have split hooves. Don’t eat these animals. The camel chews the cud but does not have a split hoof. It is unclean for you. ⁵ The rock badger chews the cud but does not have a split hoof. It is unclean for you. ⁶ The rabbit chews the cud but does not have a split hoof. It is unclean for you. ⁷ Now the pig has a split hoof that is completely divided. But it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. ⁸ You must not eat the meat from these animals. Don’t even touch their dead bodies. They are unclean for you.

⁹ “‘Some animals live in the sea or in a river. If the animal has fins and scales, you may eat it. ¹⁰ But some animals live in the sea or in a river and do not have fins and scales. This includes the things that fill the water. And it includes all other things that live in the water. You should hate them. ¹¹ You must not eat any meat from them. Don’t even touch their dead bodies. This is because you should hate them. ¹² You must hate any animal in the water that does not have fins and scales.

¹³ “‘Also, some birds should not be eaten. They should be hated. You must not eat any of these birds: eagles, vultures, black vultures, ¹⁴ kites or any kind of falcon. ¹⁵ Don’t eat any kind of raven, ¹⁶ horned owls, screech owls, sea gulls or any kind of hawk. ¹⁷ Don’t eat little owls, cormorants, great owls, ¹⁸ white owls, desert owls or ospreys. ¹⁹ Don’t eat storks, any kind of heron, hoopoes or bats.

²⁰ “‘Don’t eat insects that have wings and walk on all four feet. They are also to be hated.

²¹ “‘But you may eat certain insects that have wings and walk on four feet. You may eat those that have legs with joints above their feet so they can jump. ²² These are the insects you may eat: all kinds of locusts, winged locusts, crickets and grasshoppers. ²³ But all other insects that have wings and walk on four feet are hated. ²⁴ Those insects will make you unclean. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these insects will become unclean until evening. ²⁵ If someone picks up one of these dead insects, he must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening.

²⁶ “‘Some animals have split hooves. But the hooves are not completely divided. And some animals do not chew the cud. They are unclean for you. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean. ²⁷ Other animals do not have hooves at all. They walk on their paws. These animals are unclean for you. Anyone who touches the dead body of one of these animals will become unclean. He will be unclean until evening. ²⁸ Anyone who picks up their dead bodies must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. These animals are unclean for you.

²⁹ “‘These crawling animals are unclean for you: moles, rats, all kinds of great lizards, ³⁰ geckos, crocodiles, lizards, sand reptiles and chameleons. ³¹ These crawling animals are unclean for you. Anyone who touches their dead bodies will be unclean until evening.

³² “‘If an unclean animal dies and falls on something, that thing will also become unclean. The animal might fall on a thing made from wood, cloth, leather or rough cloth. It does not matter what the thing was used for. Whatever the animal falls on must be washed with water. It will be unclean until evening. Then it will become clean again. ³³ The dead, unclean animal might fall into a clay bowl. If it does, anything in the bowl will become unclean. And you must break the bowl. ³⁴ If water from the unclean clay bowl gets on any food, that food will become unclean. ³⁵ If any dead, unclean animal falls on something, that thing becomes unclean. The animal may fall on a clay oven or a clay baking pan. If so, it must be broken into pieces. These things will be unclean. They are unclean for you.

³⁶ “‘A spring or well that collects water will stay clean. But anyone who touches the dead body of any unclean animal will become unclean. ³⁷ A dead, unclean animal might fall on a seed to be planted. That seed is still clean. ³⁸ But you might put water on some seeds. If a dead, unclean animal falls on those seeds, they are unclean for you.

³⁹ “‘Also, an animal which you use for food may die. If it does, anyone who touches its body will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁰ Anyone who eats meat from this animal’s dead body must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. Anyone who picks up the animal’s dead body must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening.

⁴¹ “‘Every animal that crawls on the ground is one of the hated animals. It must not be eaten. Anyone who picks up the animal’s dead body must wash his clothes. He will be unclean until evening. ⁴² You must not eat any of the animals that crawl on the ground. This includes animals that crawl on their stomachs. And it includes animals that walk on all four feet or on many feet. Those are hated animals to you. ⁴³ Do not make yourself unclean by these hated animals. You must not become unclean by them. ⁴⁴ I am the Lord your God. Keep yourselves holy for me because I am holy. Don’t make yourselves unclean with these hated, crawling animals. ⁴⁵ I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. I did it so I could be your God. You must be holy because I am holy.

⁴⁶ “‘These are the teachings about all of the cattle, birds and other animals on earth. These are the teachings about the animals in the sea. And these are the teachings about the animals that crawl on the ground. ⁴⁷ These teachings help people know the difference between unclean animals and clean animals. They help people know which animals may be eaten and which ones must not be eaten.’”

Rules for New Mothers

12 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Tell the people of Israel this: ‘If a woman gives birth to a son, she will become unclean for 7 days. This will be like her being unclean during her monthly period. ³ On the eighth day the boy must be circumcised. ⁴ Then it will be 33 days before she becomes clean from her loss of blood. She must not touch anything that is holy. She must not enter the holy place until her time of cleansing is finished. ⁵ But a woman may give birth to a daughter. Then the mother will be unclean for 2 weeks. This is like her being unclean during her monthly period. It will be 66 days before she becomes clean from her loss of blood.

⁶ “‘After she has a son or daughter, she must have a time of cleansing. When it is over, the new mother must bring certain sacrifices to the Meeting Tent. She must give the priest at the entrance a year-old lamb for a burnt offering. And she must bring a dove or young pigeon for a sin offering. ⁷ He will offer them before the Lord to make her clean so she will belong to the Lord again. Then she will be clean from her loss of blood. These are the teachings for a woman who gives birth to a boy or girl.

⁸ “‘If she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons. One bird will be for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make her clean so she will belong to the Lord again. And she will be clean.’”

Rules About Skin Diseases

13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ² “Someone might have a swelling on his skin. Or he might have a scab or a bright spot on his skin. If the sore looks like a harmful skin disease, the person must be brought to Aaron the priest. Or he must be brought to one of Aaron’s sons, the priests. ³ The priest must look at the sore on the person’s skin. The hair in the sore may have become white. And the sore may seem deeper than the person’s skin. If so, it is a harmful skin disease. When he has finished looking at the person, the priest must announce that the person is unclean.

⁴ “Sometimes there is a white spot on a person’s skin, but the spot does not seem deeper than the skin. If that is true, and if the hair from the spot has not turned white, the priest must separate that person from other people for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day the priest must look at the person again. He may see that the sore has not changed. It might not have spread on the skin. Then the priest must keep the person separated for seven more days. ⁶ On the seventh day the priest must look at the person again. The sore may have faded. And it may not have spread on the skin. If that is true, the priest must announce that the person is clean. The sore is only a rash. The person must wash his clothes. Then he will become clean again.

⁷ “But the sore may have spread again after the priest has announced him clean. Then the person must come again to the priest. ⁸ The priest must look at him. If the rash has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease.

⁹ “If a person has a harmful skin disease, he must be brought to the priest. ¹⁰ The priest must look at him. There might be a white swelling in the skin. And the hair may have become white. And the skin may look raw in the swelling. ¹¹ If these things are true, it is a harmful skin disease. It is one that he has had for a long time. The priest must announce that the person is unclean. He will not need to separate that person from other people. This is because everyone already knows that the person is unclean.

¹² “Sometimes skin disease spreads all over a person’s body. The disease covers that person’s skin from his head to his feet, as far as the priest can see. Then the priest must look at the person’s whole body. ¹³ The priest might see that the disease covers the whole body. It might have turned all of the person’s skin white. Then the priest must announce that the person is clean.

¹⁴ “But when the person has an open sore, he is not clean. ¹⁵ When the priest sees the open sore, he must announce that the person is unclean. The open sore is not clean. It is a harmful skin disease. ¹⁶ If the open sore becomes white again, the person must come to the priest. ¹⁷ The priest must look at him. If the sores have become white, the priest must announce that the person with the sores is clean. Then he will be clean.

¹⁸ “Someone may have a boil on his skin, but it is healed. ¹⁹ In the place where the boil was, there might be a white swelling. Or there might be a bright red spot. This place on the skin must be shown to the priest. ²⁰ And the priest must look at it. The spot might seem deeper than the skin. And the hair on it might have become white. If these things are true, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. The spot is a harmful skin disease. It has broken out from inside the boil. ²¹ But the priest must look at the spot. There might be no white hairs in it. The spot may not be deeper than the skin. And it may have faded. Then the priest must separate the person from other people for seven days. ²² If the spot spreads on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a disease that will spread. ²³ But the bright spot might not spread or change. Then it is only the scar from the old boil. Then the priest must announce that the person is clean.

²⁴ “A person might get a burn on his skin. If the open sore becomes white or red, ²⁵ the priest must look at it. The white spot might seem deeper than the skin. And the hair at that spot might have become white. If these things are true, it is a harmful skin disease. The disease has broken out in the burn. Then the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease. ²⁶ But the priest must look at the spot. There might be no white hair in the bright spot. And the spot may be no deeper than the skin. It may have faded. Then the priest must separate the person from other people for seven days. ²⁷ On the seventh day the priest must look at him again. If the spot has spread on the skin, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is a harmful skin disease. ²⁸ But the bright spot may not have spread on the skin. It may have faded. Then it is the swelling from the burn. And the priest must announce that the person is clean. The spot is only a scar from the burn.

²⁹ “Someone might get a sore on his scalp or on his chin. ³⁰ A priest must look at the sore. It may seem to be deeper than the skin. And the hair around it may be thin and yellow. If these things are true, the priest must announce that the person is unclean. It is an itch, a harmful skin disease of the head or chin. ³¹ But when the priest looks at it, the sore might not seem deeper than the skin. There might not be any black hair in it. If that is true, the priest must separate the person from other people for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore. It may not have spread. There may be no yellow hairs growing in it. And the sore may not seem deeper than the skin. ³³ If these things are true, the person must shave himself. But he must not shave the sore place. The priest must separate that person from other people for seven more days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the priest must look at the sore. The sore may not have spread on the skin. And it may not seem deeper than the skin. If that is true, the priest must announce that the person is clean. So the person must wash his clothes and become clean. ³⁵ But the sore might spread on the skin after the person has become clean. ³⁶ Then the priest must look at him again. If the sore has spread on the skin, the priest doesn’t need to look for the yellowish hair. The person is unclean. ³⁷ But the priest might think the sore has stopped spreading. And black hair may be growing in it. Then the sore has healed. The person is clean. And the priest must announce that he is clean.

³⁸ “When a person has white spots on his skin, ³⁹ a priest must look at them. If the spots on his skin are dull white, the disease is only a harmless rash. That person is clean.

⁴⁰ “A man might lose hair from his head and be bald. He is clean. ⁴¹ He might lose hair from the front of his head and have a bald forehead. He is clean. ⁴² But if there is a red-white sore on his scalp, it is a skin disease. ⁴³ A priest must look at that person. The swelling of the sore might be red-white. It might look like a skin disease that spreads. ⁴⁴ Then that person has a skin disease. He is unclean. And the priest must announce that the person is unclean because of the sore on his head.

⁴⁵ “If a person has a skin disease that spreads, he must warn other people. He must shout, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ His clothes must be torn at the seams. He must let his hair stay uncombed. And he must cover his mouth. ⁴⁶ That person will be unclean the whole time he has the disease. He is unclean. He must live alone outside the camp.

Rules About Mildew

⁴⁷ “Some clothing might have mildew on it. The cloth might be linen or wool. ⁴⁸ It might be woven or knitted. The mildew might be on a piece of leather or on something made from leather. ⁴⁹ The mildew might be in the clothing, leather or woven or knitted material. If the mildew is green or red, it is a spreading mildew. Then it must be shown to the priest. ⁵⁰ The priest must look at the mildew. And he must put that thing in a separate place for seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he must look at the mildew. It doesn’t matter if the mildew is on leather or cloth. It doesn’t matter if the cloth is woven or knitted. It doesn’t matter what it was used for. If the mildew has spread, it is a mildew that destroys. ⁵² The priest must burn it. It does not matter if it is woven or knitted, wool or linen or a leather article. The mildew is spreading. The thing must be burned.

⁵³ “If the priest sees that the mildew has not spread, the cloth or leather must be washed. It does not matter if it is leather or cloth, knitted or woven. It must be washed. ⁵⁴ The priest must order the people to wash that piece of leather or cloth. Then he must separate the clothing for seven more days. ⁵⁵ After that time the priest must look at it again. If the mildew still looks the same, that thing is unclean. It does not matter if the mildew has not spread. You must burn that cloth or piece of leather.

⁵⁶ “But when the priest looks at that piece of leather or cloth, the mildew might have faded. Then the priest must tear the mildew out of the piece of leather or cloth. It does not matter if the cloth is woven or knitted. ⁵⁷ But the mildew might come back to that piece of leather or cloth. If that happens, the mildew is spreading. And that piece of leather or cloth must be burned. ⁵⁸ The cloth, the woven or knitted material, or the leather may be washed. The mildew may then be gone. It must be washed again. Then it will be clean.

⁵⁹ “These are the teachings about mildew on pieces of leather or cloth. It doesn’t matter if the cloth is woven or knitted.”

Rules for Cleansing from Skin Diseases

14 The Lord said to Moses, ² “These are the teachings for people who had a harmful skin disease and have become well. These teachings are for making that person clean.

³ “A priest must look at the person who had the skin disease. He must go to that person outside the camp. He must see if the skin disease is healed. ⁴ If the person is healthy, the priest will tell him to do these things: He must get two living, clean birds. He must also get a piece of cedar wood, a piece of red cloth and a hyssop plant. These things are for cleansing the person with the skin disease.

⁵ “The priest must order one bird to be killed in a clay bowl containing fresh water. ⁶ Then he will take the other bird that is still alive. He will take the piece of cedar wood, the red cloth and the hyssop. He will dip the living bird and other things into the blood. (This is the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water.) ⁷ The priest will sprinkle the blood seven times on the person who had the skin disease. He must announce that the person is clean. Then the priest must go to an open field. He must let the living bird go free.

⁸ “Next, that person must wash his clothes. He must shave off all his hair. And he must wash with water. Then he will be clean and may go into the camp. But at first he must stay outside his tent for seven days. ⁹ On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair. He must shave off his hair, his beard and his eyebrows. He must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water. Then he will be clean.

¹⁰ “On the eighth day the person who had the skin disease must take two male lambs. They must have nothing wrong with them. He must also take a year-old female lamb. It must have nothing wrong with it. The person must take six quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. ¹¹ A priest must announce that the person is clean. Then he must bring that person and his sacrifices before the Lord. This is at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. ¹² The priest will take one of the male lambs. He will offer it and the olive oil as a guilt offering. And he will present them before the Lord as an offering. ¹³ Then he will kill the male lamb in the holy place. He will kill it where they kill the sin offering and the whole burnt offering. The penalty offering is like the sin offering. It belongs to the priest. It is most holy.

¹⁴ “The priest will take some of the blood of the penalty offering. He will put some of it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. ¹⁵ The priest will also take some of the oil and pour it into his own left hand. ¹⁶ Then he will dip a finger of his right hand into the oil that is in his left hand. He will use his finger to sprinkle some of the oil seven times before the Lord. ¹⁷ The priest will put some oil from his hand on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some of it on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood for the penalty offering. ¹⁸ He will put the rest of the oil that is in his left hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the priest will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again.

¹⁹ “Next the priest will offer the sin offering. It will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. After this the priest will kill the animal for the whole burnt offering. ²⁰ Then he will offer the burnt offering and grain offering on the altar. In this way he will make that person clean so he can belong to the Lord again.

²¹ “But the person may be poor and unable to afford these offerings. Then he must take one male lamb for a penalty offering. It will be presented to the Lord so the priest can make that person clean. Then he can belong to the Lord again. The person must take two quarts of fine flour mixed with oil. It will be used for a grain offering. He must also take two-thirds of a pint of olive oil. ²² He must take two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford. One bird will be a sin offering. The other will be a whole burnt offering. ²³ On the eighth day the person will bring them to the priest at the entrance of the Meeting Tent. The gifts will be offered before the Lord. This is so the person can become clean. ²⁴ The priest will take the lamb for the penalty offering and the oil. He will present them as an offering before the Lord. ²⁵ Then he will kill the lamb of the penalty offering. He will take some of the blood of the penalty offering. He will put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. The priest will put some of this blood on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. ²⁶ He will also pour some of the oil into his own left hand. ²⁷ Then with a finger of his right hand, he will sprinkle some of the oil from his left hand. He will sprinkle it seven times before the Lord. ²⁸ Then the priest will take some of the oil from his hand. He will put it on the bottom of the right ear of the person to be made clean. He will also put some of it on the thumb of the person’s right hand. And he will put some on the big toe of the person’s right foot. The oil will go on these places on top of the blood from the penalty offering. ²⁹ The priest must put the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the head of the person to be made clean. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. ³⁰ Then the priest will offer one of the doves or young pigeons. He must offer what the person can afford. ³¹ He must offer one of the birds as a sin offering. And he must offer the other bird as a whole burnt offering. He must offer them with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make the person clean so he can belong to the Lord again. The person will become clean.

³² “These are the teachings for making a person clean. This is done after he has become well from a skin disease. These teachings are for people who cannot afford the regular sacrifices for becoming clean.”